A compelling preacher shares her unique method for creating memorable sermons in this practical, down-to-earth manual that's chock-full of excellent ideas for homiletical preparation. It's an engaging look at what characterizes outstanding preaching as well as a humorous catalog of the hazards facing those who enter the pulpit. Schmitz relates numerous amusing and instructive anecdotes from her own preaching experience, and offers valuable advice on how to write and deliver messages with maximum impact. Simple, funny, field-tested in the trenches with real people -- if you want to enjoy a chuckle while learning what makes top-notch sermons that change lives, then this is the book for you.

Reverend Henry Ware, Jr. (1794-1843), was an influential Unitarian theologian, early member of the faculty of Harvard Divinity School, and first president of the Harvard Musical Association. He was a mentor of Ralph Waldo Emerson when Emerson studied for the ministry in the 1820s. The son of Henry Ware, Sr. (1764-1845), he was born in Hingham, Massachusetts. After completing his studies at Phillips Academy, Andover and receiving his Harvard A. B. in 1812, he became minister of the Unitarian Second Church in Boston beginning in 1817. During this time he wrote Hints on Extemporaneous Preaching (1824) and The Recollections of Jotham Anderson (1828). In 1830 he left the Second Church's pulpit, with Emerson replacing him there, and moved to Harvard Divinity School. In 1831 he published On the Formation of the Christian Character, a manual on morality and his best-known work. After Emerson's Divinity School Address in 1838, Ware became more distant from his former student and friend, publishing The Personality of the Deity (1838) as a rebuttal of Emerson's views.

Preaching is not like sculpture, automotive mechanics, or toy manufacturing. The preacher must work with people who doze, resist, misunderstand, or easily anger. Unlike clay, metal, and plastic, the listener plays an active role in the communication process for good or ill. This book will: introduce you to some of the biblical guidelines that point out the listener's responsibility; confront and offer solutions to many problems encountered in listening to sermons; outline a program to help sincere churchgoers sharpen their communication skills; deal with the needs of those who must listen to inadequate preaching; much more.

Can you imagine Jesus preaching to roughneck fishermen without ever climbing into one of their boats? Jesus' preaching was packed with references to everyday life. His words had immediate appeal and lasting effect. This book is intended to help the people of God, preachers and listeners alike, make vital connections between the altars in our churches and the lunchrooms at work, between the washing of one's car and the cleansing of one's soul. Preacher in a Hard Hat is an invitation for everyone involved in preaching-the speaking, listening, studying, and shaping of God's word-to coordinate their efforts and focus their energies. It explores the unique partnership between a pastor and the parishioners, one in which the parishioners invite the pastor into their daily lives. Preacher in a Hard Hat is a collection of wry observations, personal ruminations and copious notes on the challenge of making the Word of God arresting, current and compelling for today's believers. Each chapter includes a sample homily/sermon that illustrates the insights and strategies discussed.